Refrigerating apparatus.



H. A. PARKYN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. A PARKYN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 29. I9I5.

1,267,797. v Patented May28, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIII

HEB/BERT A. PARKYN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO LEONARD PUMP & MOTOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

BEFBIGERATING APPARATUS.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT A. PARKYN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus of` the type employing a compressible refrigerant such as, for example, sulfur dioxid, which is discharged in compressed condition through an expansionvalve into the refrigerating coils and thereafter again compressed, the heat extracted therefrom, and thereupon again introduced into the refrigerating coils, this cycle of operations continuing throughout the operation of the apparatus, and the refrigerant being compressed by a pump operating in a bath of a suitable lubricant to enhance the degree of compression which would otherwise not be obtained, and lubricate the working parts of the pump.

As apparatus of the type above referred to have hitherto been constructed, this refrigerant, after being discharged from the pump in highly compressed condition and reduced to liquid form by subjection to a cooling medium, is discharged into the oilbath, which, in the operation of the pump submerged therein, is caused to be agitated to such an extent as to cause the liquid refrigerant and oil to become so intermingled that globules of the liquid refrigerant, with the oil, enter the inlet of the pump under the injector action of the latter. As the pressure in the pump at the inlet is relatively low the liquid refrigerant entering the pump, with the oil, immediately expands, this action in a large measure reducing the effectiveness of the suction, creating an added amount of compression in recondensing the expanded gas, subjecting the contents of the pum to a high pressure, which causes the oil toibe forced out of the apparatus through the stufiing-boxes, and also feeding to the line a refrigerant mixed with a large percentage of lubricant, which especially under the temperatures maintained impedes the flow of gases through the expansion pipes. Furthermore in prior constructions the sealing and lubricating iiuid is required to be relatively light and free flowing in order that it may readily drain from the refrigerating coils. This mani- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application filed July 29, 1915. Serial No. 42,531.

festly is` undesirable, as the maximum iuidseal for the pump can only be obtained by relatively heavy oil.

My object, generally stated, is to provide improvements in refrigerating apparatus, whereby the vobjections to apparatus as hitherto provided, may be overcome.

`Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a View in elevation, of refrigerating apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, portions thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 andY viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sections-taken.Y

at the lines 3 and 4, respectively, on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5, a longitudinal sectional view of certain of the valved pipe-connections for the cooling medium employed.

The refrigerating coil into which the refrigerant is introduced and permitted to expand and thus extract heat from the medium surrounding the coil, is represented' at 6, the inlet-end of the coil being connected with an expansion-valve represented at 7 and of any desirable construction, and communicating with a relatively small pipe 8 which opens into a liquid-refrigerant chamber 9, the outlet end of the coil 6 communicating with the inlet of a pump-mechanism 10.

The pump l0 is of a rotary herring-bone gear type and is mounted in a chamber 1l surmounted by the chamber 9 VWith which it communicates, as hereinafter described. The intermeshing gears of the pump, which are represented at 12, 13, 14 and 15,- are located in a housing 16 in the chamber 11, this housing being formed of a disk 17 cored out to afford openings 18 and 19 in which the said gears have journal t; and end-plates 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 fitting against the endsv of the disk 17, with bolts 25 securing the disk and plates together and to the inner surface of the chamber 11. The gears l2 and 13 are'secured to a shaft 26 journaled in the housing 16 in ball-bearings 27 and 28, and connected at its outer end, where it extends through a stuiiing-box 29 in a boss 30 on the wall of the chamber 11, with a power device, such as the motor 31, for rotating it; and the gears 14 and 15 are secured to a shaft 32 journaled at its opposite ends in ball-bearings 33 and 34 in the housing 16. The gears 12, 13, 14, and 15 are preferably arranged as shown, the teeth on the gears 12 and 13 inclining in opposite directions and meshing with the similarly disposed teeth on the gears 14 and 15. The openings 18 and 19 communicate with an inlet-passage 35 in the housing 16, which communicates with a passage 36 in the chamber 11 and in turn opens into the outlet-end of the coil 6, the housing 16 containin an outlet-passage 37 cored in the disk 1% and communicating with the openings 18 and 19, this passage being connected with a pipe 38 opening at its upper end into the chamber 11 above the level 39 of lubricating oil therein and in which the housing 16 is submerged. lt will be understood from the foregoing that in the rotation of the gears 12, 13, 14 and 15, gas will be sucked from the passage 35 into the spaces between the teeth of the gears and the walls of the openings18 and 19 in which these gears operate, and by reason of the disposition of the teeth on'these gears and their intermeshing relation will be forced toward the center of the gear-mechanism, thus compressing it. and causing it to discharge through the pipe 38.

The chambers 9 and 11 communicate with each other by means of a pipe 49 which extends into the chamber 9 above the bottom thereof, these chambers containing means for subjecting the contents thereof to the action of the cooling medium. 1n the construction illustrated these means are in the form of coils 41 and 42 of pipe arranged in these respective chambers, the inlet end 43 of the coil 41 being connected, in practice, with a source (not shown) of cold water, or

other suitable cooling medium, and its disf charge end o ening into a valve casing 44 having brano -pipes 45 and 46, one of which connects with one end of the coil 42 and the other of which connects with the other end of this coil and leads to a drain (not shown) A. valve 47 interposed in the casing 44 serves to vary the flow of water through the coil 42 relative to the flow of water through the coil 41, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

rlhe oil for lubricating and sealing the movable parts of the pump, and which may be relatively heavy oil to obtain the maximum fluid seal, is drawn from the supply thereof in the chamber 9, into the housing 16, through passages 48 in the disk 17, by the injector action produced by the gears in rotating.

rllhe operation of the apparatus is as follows: rlhe refrigerant, in gaseous condition, passes into the passage 35 and is compressed by the gears 12, 13, 14 and 15, and by them forced, in compressed condition, into the pipe 38 through which they rise, discharging into the chamber 11, which is a compression chamber, above the oil therein,

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wherein oil, which may have been taken up by the gas and discharged therewith through the pipe 38, will be allowed to separate from the gas and return to the body of oil in the chamber 11, a deector plate 49 extending immediately above the pipe 38 and supported on spaced brackets 50 depending from the top of the chamber 11, serving to enhance the separator action. rl`he gas compressed by the pump then passes upwardly through the pipe 40 and discharges into the chamber 9, which is a condenser chamber, wherein it is subjected to the cooling effect of the coil 41, thereby becoming reduced to liquid condition and settling into the bottom of this chamber, from which it passes through the pipe 8 to the expansion valve 7 and thence, in expanded condition, into the coil 6, wherein it performs the refrigerating function. v f

The coil 42 in the chamber 11 is provided for the purpose of preventing overheating of the pump and the contents of this chamber, it being preferred that this coil be maintained at such a temperature that the compressed refrigerant gas discharged into this chamber will not be condensed therein, thus any trace of refrigerant in the oil in this chamber will be prevented from condensing and instead of being retained by the oil will pass therefrom in gaseous condition into the chamber 9. By manipulating the valve 47 to control the flow of water through the coil 42, which in ed'eot is located in a by-pass, the temperature of the latter may be accurately controlled and the water which is used in the cooling coil in the condenser chamber 9 may be utilized in the coil 42.

rlihe pipe 40, by preference, extends into the chamber 9 to a height slightly above that at which the liquid refrigerant extends in this chamber at any time during the operation of the apparatus. '1`hus any oil which may pass into the chamber 9 with the compressed gas, where the refrigerant employed when in liquid condition is heavier than the sealing and lubricating oil, as where sulfurdioxid is used as the refrigerant, will float on the liquid refrigerant in this chamber and will overflow therefrom through the pipe 40 into the chamber 11. Where the refrigerant used is, in liquid condition, lighter than the sealing and lubricating iuid used, a slight modification of the apparatus as shown, is desirable. ln such case the sealing and lubricating fluid, if carried up into the chamber 9, will settle in the bottom of this chamber and to cause it to return to the chamber 11, a pipe would be connected with the lower portion of the chamber 9, then extend upwardly to such a height that fluid entering this pipe will counterbalance the liquid refrigerant in the chamber 9 and a predetermined quantity of the lubricating and sealing fluid introduced into this chamber preparatory to the operating of the apparatus, this pipe then extending doWn- Wardly into the chamber 11, With a pipe connecting With the upper portion of the first referred to pipe above the point at which the sealing and lubricating fluid would overflow through this pipe, and with the interior of the chamber 9, to prevent siphon action.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction in which my invention is embodied, I do not Wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto, as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl.. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenserchamber, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in said liuid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump, into said condenser-chamber, said condenser-chamber being constructed and arranged to prevent the return of the liquid refrigerant to the compression-chamber, and means'for separating from the compressed refrigerant While the lat-ter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump With the gaseous refrigerant, whereby the liquid refrigerant is maintained substantially free of lubricating fluid.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenserchamber, a pump in saidcompression-chamber submerged in said fluid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump, into said condenser-chamber, said condenser-chamber being constructed and arranged to prevent the return `of the liquid refrigerant to the compression-chamber, and mEins for separating from the compressed refrigerant-While the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant and returning the lubricating fluid so separated, to the body thereof in said compression-chamber, whereby the liquid refrigerant is maintained substantially free of lubricating fluid.

3. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating liuid, a condenserchamber, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in said uid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, said chambers being in communication with each other, means for discharging the gas compressed by the pump, into said compression-chamber from Which it passes into said condenser-chamber, said condenser-chamber being constructed and arranged to prevent the return of the liquid refrigerant to the compression-chamber, and means in said compression-chamber for separating from the compressed refrigerant While the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump with the aseous refrigerant, for the purpose set fort 4. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber, containing a sealing and lubricating Huid, a condenser-chamber, a pump in said compressionchamber submerged in said fluid, means for conducting .a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump,'into said condenser-chamber, means for separating from the compressed refrigerant While the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant, and means for returning to said compression-chamber, lubricating fluid which may be carried by the compressed gas into said condenser-chamber.

5. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenserchamber, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in said fluid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, said chambers being in communication with each other, means for discharging the gas compressed by the pump, into said compression-chamber from which it passes into said condenser-chamber, and means in said compression-chamber for separating from the compressed refrigerant While the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenser-chamber, a .pipe connecting said chambers and opening` into' said condenserchamber above the level of the refrigerant therein, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in the said sealing and lubricating fluid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump into said condenser-chamber, and means for separating from the compressed refrigerant while the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating uid ldischarged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant, said pipe being constructed and. arranged to cause the lubricating fluid entering said condenser-chamber with said rofrigerant, to ow back into said compressionchamber, through said pipe.

7. ln refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating duid, a condenserchamber, a pipe communicating with both of said chambers and opening into said condenser-chamber above the level of the liquid refrigerant therein, a pump in said compression-chambersubmerged in the said sealing and lubricating iluid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for discharging the gas compressed by the pump into said compression chamber from which it passes into said condenser-,chamber through said pipe, and means in said compression-chamber for separating from the compressed refrigerant while the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant, said pipe also operating to return to said compression-chamber lubricating fluid passing into said condenserchamber with the compressed gas.

8. ln refrigerating apparatus, the cm. bination of a compression-chamber containing aY sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenser-chamber, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in said fluid and discharging above the level of the lubricating fluid in said compression-chamber, means for conducting the refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump, into said condenser-chamber, and means in said compression-chamber for separating from the compressed refrigerant while the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating uid discharged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant.

9. ln refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenserchamber, a pipe connecting said chambers and opening into said condenser-chamber above the level of the refrigerant therein, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in the said sealing and lubricating iiuid and discharging directly into said compression-chamber, whereby said pipe is in communication with said pump only through said compression-chamber, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump into said compressor-chamber, and means in said compression-chamber for separating from the compressed refrigerant while the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating duid disnoemer charged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant, said pipe operating to cause the lubricating duid entering said condenserchamber with said refrigerant, to flow back into said compression-chamber, through said pipe and discharge into the body of lubricating duid in said condenser-chamber.

l0. in refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a condenser-chamber opening into said compression-chamber, a pump in said compressionchamber submerged in said fluid and discharging into said compression-chamber, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, and a plate in said compression-chamber and positioned to cause the discharge from said pump to impinge `against it for deecting the compressed gas and lubricating fluid discharged from the pump in its passage from the latter to the outlet of said compression-chamber.

1l. ln refrigerating apparatus, the combination of two chambers, one located above the other and each formed of sides and a top and a bottom with a pipe connectin the lower with the upper chamber throng the top and bottom thereof, respectively, one of said chambers being a condenser-chamber and the other a compression-chamber, the latter containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in the said sealing and lubricating duid and discharging into said compression-chamber, and means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said ump.

l2. ln pefrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compression-chamber containing a sealing and lubricating duid, a condenser-chamber located above said compression-chamber, a pipe openingv into said compression-chamber and through the bottom of said condenser-chamber and extending above the level of the refrigerant in the latter, a pump in said compression-chamber submerged in said fluid, means for conducting the refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump into said condenserchamber, and means for separating from the compressed refrigerant, while the latter is in gaseous condition and before it enters the condenser-chamber, the lubricating fluid discharged from the pump with the gaseous refrigerant, whereby the liquid refrigerant is laidntained substantially free of lubricating 13. ln refrigerating apparatus, the combination of two chambers, each containing a cooling coil and forming compression and condenser chambers, respectively, said compression chamber containing a sealing and lubricating duid, a pump in said compression chamber submerged in the said sealing lib and lubricating uid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump into said compression chamber, said chambers being in communication with each other whereby the compressed gas passes from said compression chamber into said condenser chamber, means for connecting the coil in said condenser chamber with a source of cooling medium, a passage connected with the discharge end of said last referredv to coil, anda by-pass in said passage in whichthe coil in said compression chamber is interposed, the whole being constructed and arranged to cause the temperature in the compression chamber to be maintained above that at which the refrigerant condenses.

14. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of two chambers, each containing a cooling coil and forming compression and condenser chambers, respectively, said compression chamber containing a sealing and lubricating fluid, a pump in said compres- Sion chamber submerged in the said sealing and lubricating Huid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump into said compression chamber, said chambers being in communication with each other whereby the compressed gas passes from said compression chamber into said condenser chamber, means for connecting the coil in said condenser chamber with a source of water supply, a pipe connected with the discharge end of said last-referred to coil, and a valve-controlled by-(pass in said pipe in which the coil in sai compression chamber is interposed, the whole being constructed and arranged to cause the temperature in the compression chamber to be maintained above that at which the refrigerant condenses.

15. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of two chambers, passages associated therewith for 'flow therethrough of a coolin medium for cooling the contents of said c ambers, said chambers forming the compression and condenser chambers respectively, said compression chamber containing a sealing and lubricating liuid, a pump in said compression chamber, submerged in the said sealing and lubricating fluid, means for conducting a refrigerant in gaseous condition into said pump, means for conducting the gas compressed by the pump into said compression chamber, said chambers being in communication with each other whereby the compressed gas passes from said compression chamber into said condenser chamber, means for connecting the passage associated with said condenser chamber, with a source of cooling medium, and a by-pass connected with saidv last referred to passage in which the passage associated with' said compression chamber is interposed, the whole being constructed and arranged to cause the temperature in the compression chamber to be maintained above that at which the refrigerant condenses.

16. In refrigerating apparatus, a compression chamber and a condenser chamber, containing a refrigerant, a vacuum and compression pump located in said compression chamber and submerged in a bod of sealing and lubricating'liuid therein, sai pump discharging into said compression chamber above the level of the said sealing and lubricating fluid therein, a pipe connecting the two chambers whereby gases compressed by the said um are carried from the compreion chamber to the condenser chamber, said pipe terminat' at such a height in said condenser cham er that any sealing fluid which may have been carried into the condenser chamber and floats on the body of condensed refrigerant therein, will return by gravity to the compression chamber, circulating water pipes within both of said chambers, the pipes in said compression chamber connecting with the other of said pipes to a by-pass valve device, whereby the height of compression generated within said com ression chamber may be regulated to such egree that the refrigerant will not condense in said compression chamber.

HERBERT A. PARKYN.

In presence ofc Josnrn SCHWARTZ,

D. C. THonsnN. 

